[21 April 2023, 10:40 AM]
[Outside the Dungeon]
After leaving the dungeon, Vane and Alba rested in the waiting area. The trap was calling someone with his phone, telling the person on the other side of the phone that he had Mana Exhaustion and asked for a car to pick him up and his friend.
Zaiden's external wound had also been healed by Chloe, but his bones were not put in place yet. Although healing magic was convenient, bones needed to be placed back first before they could be healed by magic. Hence, we couldn't heal him as both Chloe, and I were not well-versed in medical knowledge.
So, I was forced to bring him to the hospital. Chloe went back home first because she wanted to cook for lunch. She never expected to get this job in the first place, so I didn't mind her leaving first. Before leaving, she waved her hand and asked me to look forward to lunch later.
I also got my payment from Vane, which was 200 thousand USD. A big number for my first job. We also exchanged numbers as I told him to contact me whenever he needed help in the future, and he replied with a smile.
After all things with Vane were over, I called a Taxi to get Zaiden to the hospital.
I was indeed taking my time, but I didn't really care. He could handle some pain if he was a man. In the taxi, we sat on the back seat.
"To the hospital, please," I told the middle-aged driver our destination.
"Alright. Both of you have just raided a dungeon, huh?" The driver asked as he started the car's engine. He drove smoothly because he saw that Zaiden's leg was bent in the wrong direction.
A lot of Taxi drivers had taken injured Awakeners to the hospital. This was normal in today's society. Hence, he instantly knew that we were just done raiding a dungeon.
"Yes." I just answered shortly as I had nothing more to say.
"Well then, I will drive a bit fast, seeing that the guy beside you has been injured. Hahahaha."
While the driver was concentrating on the road, I felt a gaze from my side and turned around. Zaiden was looking at me, trying to judge me with his gaze.
"What?" I asked in a cold tone.
He was shaken and let out a short gasp. "Ah! N-No. It's just… I wanted to ask something. But… I am afraid to offend you with my question."
Ah, that was it. He must be curious about my identity and used this chance of us being together to ask something. Chloe was not here, so he could ask some sensitive questions with no hesitation.
He must've been terrified of Chloe. She was the only one with the hope of defeating Zaiden in the latter part of the story. When facing Chloe, Zaiden was injured to the point he almost lost his life. Her strength was also amplified when facing the latter part of Zaiden, as he was considered a threat to the world.
'Should I answer his question?'
I was a bit hesitant, but finally, I crossed my arms and spoke.
"Do ask me anything. I have something to ask you too."
Zaiden was confused, but he smiled as I was willing to answer his question.
"Umm, then… Can I ask you how you meet with the Hero–"
"Chloe." I cut off his sentence and emphasized Chloe's name. "Don't call her Hero, as that girl deserves something better than that measly title."
She had the right to be called by her name, not only her title. The driver noticed that we were talking about something rather private, so he pushed a button that closed the sutter between the back seat and the driver seat. He did that to avoid some trouble with Awakener; what a good move. The sutter blocked the sound from the backseat, so we could talk comfortably.
"I see. I am sorry." Zaiden apologized. From his look, he truly was sorry.
"No problem. Just don't call her Hero again. As for your question, you asked me how I met with Chloe, right?"
"Ah, yes. I-If you don't mind, can I hear it? I have watched your interview and read the article about you pulling Miss Chloe by hand."
"About that. It was Chloe who pulled me by hand, and I met her when we were just a child." I narrowed my eyes as I narrated.
Zaiden changed the story by saving his family and Lily. They lived in Texas at that time when a monster from the nearby field rampaged and created an outbreak. That incident happened when they were children, maybe ten years ago from today's date.
Chloe had become Awakener five years ago, and she was only nine years old when the Outbreak happened. Her backstory was not complete. Because in the novel, Chloe was emotionless when she met Zaiden. She had been depressed for too long and became unable to express her emotion after she killed the Demon King.
Her duty was finished, and she turned into something like a living doll with the sole purpose of defending Humanity. That was messed up. I blamed myself for writing something like that at that time.
Fortunately, I managed to pull her out from her misery in time in this world. I wouldn't allow her to become like that. Although my first intention to save her was because she was my favorite character, I became attached to her after living with her for three weeks.
So, it was time for bullshit. To make this fucker felt guilty and confused.
"Ten years ago, we met in a shelter during the monster outbreak in Texas. We were separated when she became Awakener five years ago. We met again right before that hoax article was spread, and we decided to create a Mercenary Group for a living."
"Huh?" He let out a surprised sound. His pale face turned into a surprised one, which looked a bit stupid. "That means both of you have been friends since childhood?"
"Yes. Now, I have answered your question. I can ask mine, no?"
"Yes, please ask anything." He said with a painful smile. I guess a few broken ribs and a broken leg were really painful, huh? He was a bit amazing because he could act like normal even in his condition.
I have created Rai's identity meticulously and added a backstory of mine with Chloe. There was one more thing that I wanted to add to Rai's identity so my action in the future would look normal to Zaiden. This question would be the most important one in my plan, and I never thought that I would get the chance this quick.
I put off my sunglasses, put them in my magic bag, and glared at Zaiden.
"It's a strange question, but… Do you know something about Bathory?"
When I asked that, I noticed Zaiden's body flinched, and his hand moved a little. He was on guard and glared at me. There was a slight Mana coming out from his body. Was it anger? Or was it wariness? None of that mattered. More importantly, he did react to my question.
"Who are you?" He asked in a tone lower than usual. So he was able to talk like that.
I snickered under my mask at his question.
Rai would be a person who stopped Zaiden, who hindered him, and who would make him suffer through all trials. He was the character that I created in this world and my second identity, based on the real me before I transmigrated to this world.
There was a crucial part that I needed to add so that Zaiden would be angry at Rai and possibly even Chloe. It was the fact that Rai knew the future too.
So, I deliberately asked him this question about the strongest witch, Bathory.
"Lily Sonava, quite a good name, no? No one ever believes that such a girl will be the one who turns into the most heinous witch in existence, hated by all. And no one ever believes that Zaiden Archman, the most talented person in the world with 3 S-Rank Talents, will try to save that heinous witch. What a scary thing, the future is." I chuckled at the end of my sentence and paused a little.
Zaiden's expression was now mixed with wariness, curiosity, as well as slight anger.
At the end of volume 29, I made Bathory utter the name of her host, Lily Sonava, Zaiden's childhood friend that was killed in the monster outbreak ten years ago and was revived by Bathory's Witch Factor. In this world, though, she had survived the monster outbreak.
That meant Bathory's Witch Factor was in an unknown location now, and that was the one who made me mad when I met Lily for the first time.
This fucker, the reincarnator, let the strongest Witch Factor reside in another girl's body because he saved Lily. Maybe he didn't realize that this world was inside 'Awakener's Dead Harem' when he was a child, but… it seemed like he realized what he did after realizing where he actually was and vowed to save the other girls.
I wouldn't let that happen. The unknown factor was the scariest thing in this world. I wouldn't let his whim get me killed.
"You...! Who are you?!" He raised his voice, yelling at me.
"Hmm? Why are you asking me that? Aren't you the same as me? Or are you not?" I asked him playfully.
The plan that I created for Rai's identity, a certain key that motivated Zaiden, and this plan would make Rai's future action normal in Zaiden's eyes.
"Didn't you fail to save that witch? That's why you regressed, right? Or, are you not?"
Regression.
Rai was a regressed person who knew the future of this world. The Hero's childhood friend as well as someone who hated Zaiden for killing his loved one. That was the setting that I made for my second identity.
"…" Zaiden couldn't say anything. His eyes widened, and I laughed.
"Ah, I see. So that's why your personality is different from what I remember. Even if you regressed, your personality should've stayed the same. The cold murderer who will do anything to save the witch. The hope of humanity who turned his back from humanity to save the witch, Zaiden Archman. But… you are different. You don't know me. I am a bit hurt, considering our close relationship." I paused and chuckled.
I was not wrong calling me close to Zaiden, as he was the character that I created. I was the closest one to him, as I was his creator. I knew all about him, better than anyone else. His suffering, his depression, his goal, and his end.
"So you are not a regressor… But you seem to know what will happen, so… I see. How amusing."
"…" He kept staying silent, but I knew that he had connected the dots from his expression. I had thrown some hints, and he should've known it.
The taxi stopped at the perfect time, and the sutter was brought up again. We had arrived in the hospital. The driver looked back at us, confused. But I quickly handed the money to him. "Can you help him get inside the hospital? I will give you a bonus."
"Uh, sure…" The driver replied, still confused.
I opened the door and stepped out of the taxi. Before I went away, I looked at the confused Zaiden and waved my hand at him.
"See you in the future, Hijacker. I hope you can do better than him." I emphasized the word Hijacker and went on my way.
'I bet Zaiden will try to guess who Rai is before coming to the conclusion that Rai was a Regressor, someone who came back to the past from the future. And Rai is someone who hates him and probably will try to stop him in the future. Lastly… He will connect Rai with the Unknown Sharpshooter, which I mentioned a lot of times in the novel.'
With this, it wouldn't be strange when Rai suddenly appeared in all events that would happen in the future. 'Rai is a Regressor, so he knows the future, probably more than me.' He would think something like that. His surprised expression was such a good reward for me. I did admit that he was kind, but I didn't give the fuck about it.
He needed to save the world, and my job was to make him stronger. I didn't know whether Lily would still become Bathory in the future, but I already had the Artifact that I needed to find the Witch Factor. The next thing I needed to do was to prepare for Vincent's Awakening. To prepare for Vicent's Awakening, I needed a suitable sword.
For the sword, my lovely old Master had prepared that for me. So, it was time to finish his request to get my reward. As I had no time to hunt the Dark Chameleon, there was only one place that I could visit to get it.
'The next stop is the Black Market.'
I hummed as I walked away from the hospital.